Tuesday, 3 April 2018

Have you ever had to stand up for yourself against some form of injustice? Have you dared to voice a truth to stop something unfair happening to someone else? If so, you've done something that many around you wouldn't do.

Whether it's righting a simple wrong, clearing up an allegation or preventing a miscarriage of justice, the truth is invaluable.

What are the consequences of telling the truth? For some it's a price that keeps on taking until their last breath, like a pack of hounds after a fox. People fearing the truth will seek to discredit you where possible, in order to minimise the impact of your truth. They will ostracise you and leave you unsupported. I've witnessed and been subjected to these methods for most of my life ... because I've told the truth or done the right thing.

Knowing everything I do now about the way of the world, would I have chosen to let the matters slide and just quietly get on with my life? No ... because we have to do the right thing and not just focus on our own needs. Walking a certain path makes us who we are.

There are so many of you that have lived ... and continue to live your lives in the same way ... with honour and dignity. Every time I see something on Social Media about one of you I feel a sense of connection and purpose; as a result that helps me because I know that I'm not alone in the way that I live and that these values are respected and upheld by other people too. You give me the courage to carry on. Thank you.

I hope that we can encourage later generations to uphold the same values and to look outside of their own circle.

Monday, 19 February 2018

Hi All,A quick note on the fly to tell you that FLASHPOINT, my latest thriller in the Thomas Bladen Spy Chaser series, is available to download for 99p.It'll last longer than a cheap burger.It's less than a litre of petrol.You may even enjoy it so much that you read the rest of the series!

Wednesday, 7 February 2018

I'm a writer and I've often witnessed other creatives jumping back and forth across an imaginary line. On one side (written in invisible ink!) it reads Art and the other side it reads Commerce. A hardy few will straddle that line and keep a foot firmly on either side. But not many. What is Art?According to https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/art:The expression or
application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form
such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for
their beauty or emotional power.

That's a pretty broad brush
and I'd argue that writing, photography, music, singing, crochet and a
whole lot of other endeavours also fit the category. I especially like ...expression
or application of human creative skill and imagination. If it involves those
three elements - creativity, skill and imagination - it's art. End of
discussion. It might be good art or bad, comforting, uplifting, challenging or
even baffling. Art doesn't require permission or explanation or
approval. It just is.

And Commerce?Commerce is pretty self-explanatory. Something either pays or it doesn't. But if art doesn't pay, that's no reflection on its artistic merit. Many artists didn't make a bean in their lifetime. Take it from me, commercial success in the arts is an alchemy that relies on so many things - what you make, who sees it, timing, context (how it affects people, what else is happening in the creative sphere and the wider world), and that old bugbear of creative people the world over: luck. You can't control most of those factors. You have to create art - that's the core of it. After that, you can advertise, try and get an exhibition or representation, find a gallery, promote online. All that and more. It may help you reach your dream of living and working purely as an artist (whatever that means to you), but it won't affect you being an artist - that comes from within. It's as primal as breathing.A foot in each campI write thrillers. Genre fiction like mine (e.g. thrillers, crime fiction of fantasy) doesn't usually win any literary prizes unless it's a genre specific prize. But a book is still art, right, even if it's a spy story? FLASHPOINT, my fifth thriller, was published recently and I am happy to create 'art' that sells. The way I see it, whether it's a book or a postcard or a crocheted button, we should embrace our creativity. And if we can earn a few bob from it as well, so much the better!

Tuesday, 16 January 2018

1. Writing stuff.
2. Getting that written stuff published or at least read.

However, there's much more to it than that and I'll warn you in advance that I
may get arty and soulful. To begin with, it's a helluva thing to even consider
calling yourself a writer, never mind actually telling other people about it.
Because, when it really comes down to it, every piece of writing contains a
little bit of you in it – your memories, your perspective, your
experience of the people around you, your hopes and also your fears.

It can feel like an indulgence to spend quality time away from loved ones and
friends, especially when you're using that time to wrestle with people and
situations that you've created in your head.

Reading also takes on
another dimension when you’re a writer. What used to be a leisure activity now
becomes a vital part of your craft. You still read for enjoyment, but you also
look closely at style, plot, characterisation and all the other elements that
already give you sleepless nights.

Try this one on for size: A writer is an artist.
You write fiction? Congrats - you're an artist.

There's also a deeper, inner level to this writing journey. Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way is a brilliant
resource (among others) for getting into the soul of writing. I believe there
is a part of every writer that is secretly – and sometimes overtly, on the page
– grappling with the big issues of life, death, justice, purpose, love,
freedom, etc.

Sometimes we not only express who we are on the page, we also explore who we
wish we were. Read between the lines and it's as powerful as therapy and as real as
it gets.

So, here's the thing: when someone tells you they've written something, or that
they're working on something, treat them with kindness. When you give feedback,
make it constructive – it's fine to say you didn't like it, as long
as you say why. Feedback on what you enjoyed – and why - is also welcomed.
However, tell the truth. And for the love of God, please try and avoid the word
‘nice’. It’s the writer’s kryptonite!

Some writers will not get the recognition they deserve. For some, the only
feedback they'll receive is the snipey kind on ebook sites or forums. But
wherever writers are, on that endless and invisible ladder of literary success,
they stay true to their craft. Well, you wouldn't expect anything less from a
writer, would you?

Wednesday, 10 January 2018

Using Textures with
your Photographs to Create a Painterly Effect

Once you have taken your photographs, uploaded them, edited
them in terms of brightness, contrast, saturation etc, you may well feel that
you have finished. But why not explore the idea of using textures in your
photography to create a ‘painterly’ effect? This works particularly well with
my own favourite floral photography, but it is equally useful with all kinds of
subject matter. You are limited only by your own creativity!

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Here are a couple of before and after shots:

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In both cases, there has been no further editing other than
a texture being added and the opacity altered to taste. The difference between
the ‘before’ and the ‘after’ is subtle but - I hope you’ll agree - it works to enhance what is already there. And it is so quick and easy to do that it has to be worth a try. I have
added a step-by-step guide to this technique below using Photoshop
Elements/Photoshop but any software program that allows you to use layers
should be okay for this. In all cases, please try to make sure that you first
copy the original so you can work non-destructively. If you don’t like it, you
can always go back to the original. Nothing to lose J

Applying Textures in
Photoshop Elements/Photoshop

1.Open your chosen photo in Photoshop. (If using
Elements, make sure you are in ‘expert’ mode)

2.Make sure your ‘layers panel is turned on and
that you can see it on the right hand side

3.Before you start working on your photo, make a
copy of the ‘background layer’ by clicking Cmd (control on a pc) and J

4.Now click ‘file’, ‘open’ and find the textured
layer you want to use.

5.Open the texture and click Cmd(control) A to
select all, and Cmd (control) C to copy

6.Now move back to your photo and click Cmd
(control) V to paste and Cmd (control) T to turn on the transform tool.

7.Using the ‘handles’ stretch the textured layer
so it is the same size as your photo. Click on the tick once you have done
that.

8.Check that you now have 3 layers on the left: 2
background and one texture.

9.Make sure that the texture layer is selected and
play with blend modes until you find something you like. The best modes to try
are normal, multiply, overlay, soft light and hard light.

10.You
may like an effect but find it a bit stronger than you wanted. Now play with
the ‘opacity’ selection until you’re happy. At this point, think more about how
the background looks rather than how your subject looks.

11.Now
we can start to remove some of the texture from the subject by adding a ‘mask’
(circle in a square icon on layers panel).

12.Select
a brush a brush and move the ‘opacity’ to about 50%. This will remove some of
the texture but will leave some behind so there is more unity between your
subject and your background. Gently begin to brush away the texture. If nothing
seems to be happening, check that your colour is set to black.

13.If
you remove an area by mistake, you can either press Cmd and Z to undo, or
change the colour to white, opacity to 100% and paint it back in.

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14.Once
you are happy with the result, click ‘layer’ and ‘flatten image’ and save in
you usual way.

Extra tips:

Try using different subject matter and different textures.
It’s very subjective so you may find that different choices work for you.

If something isn’t working as it should, it is most likely
to be because you do not have the correct layer selected.

There are lots of free textures available on the internet.
‘Shadowhouse Creations’ have some, as do ‘2econd Skin’. Please read the terms
of use on these and any others you may find. It is often the case that you may
use them for commercial purposes as long as the image has been flattened so
that the texture cannot be extracted and shared around.

It is very easy to make your own textures by taking shots of
tree bark, concrete, peeling paint, grasses, leaves, water. A touch of gaussian
blur and a bit of imagination can turn them into fabulous textures that you can
use.

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Google, google, google – if you prefer to be show how to do
this, do a quick online search and turn up about a zillion video tutorials. And
once you’ve mastered this, find another new technique to try. The learning
curve is, thankfully, never-ending J

Thursday, 28 September 2017

I met Chris Tilley, the Community Champion at Tesco Bulwell Extra last year and we had a conversation about Meiyo Karate Club moving to the store as the club was having problems finding affordable accommodation.

What transpired was further dialogue about a community arts project to make use of the corridor space outside of the Community Room at the store. Some 8 months later, we were given the green light to set up a rolling exhibition space at the store.

It's been a good team effort from all concerned: staff from Tesco, members of Meiyo Karate Club, members of the poetry group, camera club and members of the Disabled Artists' Network all got together and put their energies into helping this project come to life.

We all have different skill sets and we all contributed whatever we could to help bring the change that was needed to turn this space into an art gallery but not just any art gallery, this gallery has a purpose apart from the obvious ... to destigmatise disability - particularly mental health.

Our volunteers varied in age, ability and disability but we had a common goal: to get this gallery setup and operational before the end of August 2018.

Staff from B and Q

Left: Paul (DAN) - Right: Jim (Tesco Staff)

Nandina & Dave (DAN)

The boards, paint, fixings, ladders etc were purchased at B&Q Riverside, Nottingham. We were given a discount and some vouchers for which we were very grateful. We wouldn't have been able to meet our deadline without their financial help. We also had some vouchers from Tesco Bulwell Extra to help cover the cost of the materials from Chris Tilley.

Jim, the maintenance bod from Tesco Bulwell Extra kicked off the first board installation with Paul and Tim, Gary and myself helped with the first boards. We cracked on with it once Jim had shown us what to do but the pace was slow.

Hannah and Adam (AR Walker Plumbing and Heating)

Then along came Hannah and Adam (parents of one of our Karateka) with a surprise drop in from Nandina (DAN) and partner 'The Tool Man'. The rest of us assisted where possible and these people had the remainder of the boards up in no time while Julie and Ravinder made a start on the painting.

Julie and Ravinder (DAN)

Good progress was being made now and the most worrying aspect of the project had been overcome - the boards were up safely.

Over the next 2 weeks the boards were painted, coat after coat, under the direction of Julie (Assistant Project Curator) until they looked just right. Angie and Karen from the Camera Club dropped in to help with the painting too and the boards were soon looking good.

Ready for the art work!

Paul and Tim (DAN)

Next we had to install all of the signage that had been produced by Gangeprint.com at a considerable discount. We also have a series of statements about disability and life experiences that are a permanent feature in the space. The aim being to help other people understand how easily one can find themselves in a position of difficulty through everyday life - let alone traumatic events. We were now a week away from the deadline as friends were going to be flying in to view the exhibition before the official opening.

Poetry Group Exhibition

We noticed that there was a problem with some shopping trolleys bashing or scraping into the boards, so stanchions with safety belts had to be purchased and put into place to protect the boards and art work (when it would be installed). Nothing was overlooked in terms of safety and presentation.

Camera Club Exhibition

Then it was time to get the art work installed for the first show. We had a wide ranging selection ready from a collection of artists that had been working with the project over the last 18 months or so, including exhibits from the Camera Club and the Poetry Group.

DAN Meeting

We have three exhibitions in one here! We also have people contributing towards these exhibitions from other countries: Canada, Finland, Denmark, Romania, India, Nepal, Wales, Scotland, Netherlands and Eire. I'm hoping that the level of inclusion will help to break down barriers and promote greater understanding of our differences ... and through the arts ... our similarities.

Angie and Richard working on image editing.

Lord Mayor opening the exhibition

Just before the official opening, we had a sponsor come and visit us and sit in on one our DAN (Disabled Artists' Network) meetings. Jon Souza, of LSM Global, was visiting with his wife Kris and totally surprised me by announcing that he'd be sponsoring Wolf Photography to continue running these projects.

Myself, Cllr Michael Edwards and Chris Tilley

On Wednesday 13th September, Cllr Michael Edwards, Lord Mayor of Nottingham, officially opened the exhibition to the public. We had a great turn out from the contributors and other people that have been responsible in bringing this project to Tesco Bulwell Extra, Nottingham.

We run an event every Friday evening at the store in the Community Room in the following order: Social meeting of all groups, DAN meeting, Poetry Group and the Camera Club. You can see the full list of events taking place on the project's main Facebook Page. These are community events to which you're all welcome.

If you'd like to contribute your art poetry towards the exhibitions, please click on the appropriate title below the image.

In 2013, I launched a series of rolling exhibitions to raise awareness of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and to promote creativity as a coping mechanism for disability. My poetry raised awareness of what living with PTSD feels like, while my photography demonstrated my escape from the ‘Chains of PTSD’.

My exhibitions, ‘Living with PTSD’ and ‘Intimacy with Plants’ ran over a 12 month period from November 2013 and surpassed all of the goals that I’d set. While allowing me to interact with and listen to other people with disabilities, civilians and veterans alike – I was made aware of similar problems being experienced by others but on a wider scale. People were opening up at the exhibitions by either leaving comments in the Guestbook, through social media or talking to me direct. Some people thought that PTSD only affected veterans. I spoke to some people that described symptoms of PTSD whose symptoms started after incidents as wide ranging as sexual abuse, to bullying and road traffic accidents.

One issue was made clear to me: there is still a lot of ignorance about Mental Health related
conditions, not just PTSD, in society. I was given examples of that ignorance as people
relayed stories of how they’d been mistreated by professionals and, unfortunately, these included police officers, paramedics, solicitors, barristers, doctors, GPs, nurses and NHS admin staff in
parts of the East Midlands. There is also a tremendous amount of ignorance about the link between
physical health and mental health. If people with mental health conditions are isolated and
stay indoors without any exercise, they can develop physical health issues. If active, social people
find themselves isolated because of a physical injury they can develop a mental health condition.

I started setting up DAN (the Disabled Artists’ Network) in 2015. I wanted to give others a chance to tell their own story about disability and creativity and how it’s helped them to survive. I didn’t rule out non-disabled artists but I needed to prioritise raising the profiles of disabled artists in our communities.

It's your turn now

It's up to you now ... get involved! Come and exhibit your art, photography and poetry with us from wherever on this Earth you are ... or further afield!

My sincere thanks to everyone that has helped to get this new venue setup; I have a feeling that this project will be here for a good while.

Thank you for taking the time to read this piece. Please share it out on social media and let's get other people involved.